High School

Woodrow Wilson may have contributed to the disillusionment felt by Americans after WWI by setting unrealistic goals for the war's outcome. For example, Wilson pledged to:

A. Have WWI be the last war and then rebuild the shattered economies of Europe.
B. Allow the defeated nations to remain partners despite changes in border areas.
C. Ensure that Germany and France signed a mutual security pact to end hostilities.
D. Make the world safe for democracy and have WWI be the war to end all wars.

Answer :

Woodrow Wilson's aim to 'make the world safe for democracy' and his hope for WWI to be 'the war to end all wars' led to American disillusionment post-WWI. His Fourteen Points and the establishment of the League of Nations were part of his idealistic vision, which ultimately faced resistance and fell short, contributing to future international tensions. Hence, option d) Make the world safe for democracy and have WWI be the war to end all wars is the correct answer.

The disillusionment felt by Americans after WWI can, in part, be attributed to Woodrow Wilson's pledge to make the world safe for democracy and to ensure that WWI would be 'the war to end all wars.' Wilson's idealistic goals, encapsulated in his Fourteen Points, included the establishment of an international organization known as The League of Nations, purposed with preventing future conflicts through diplomacy. Despite the humanitarian intentions behind these aims, the harsh reality of the Treaty of Versailles and subsequent geopolitical developments, like the advent of WWII, led to widespread disillusionment as Wilson's vision of a just and lasting peace proved unattainable.

Wilson's Fourteen Points addressed issues believed to have caused the war and outlined a plan for postwar peace that emphasized self-determination, free trade, and open diplomacy. Although Wilson's points were initially well-received in the U.S., they met with resistance from European allies, who sought punitive reparations from Germany, ultimately leading to the Treaty of Versailles that many criticized for sowing the seeds of future conflict. Hence, option d) Make the world safe for democracy and have WWI be the war to end all wars is the correct answe